the captives-第79节
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〃Why； Grace 。 。 。 I don't know。 I never noticed it wasn't there。〃
〃I took it down；〃 said Maggie。 〃I thought there were too many photographs。 It's in the attic。〃
〃In the attic？ 。 。 。 Fancy！ You put it away； did you； Maggie？ Well； fancy！ Shan't I make the tea； Maggie； dear？ That tea…pot； it's an old friend of mine。 I know how to manage it。〃
They changed seats。 Grace was as amiable as ever； but now her eyes flashed about from place to place all around the room。
〃Why； this is a new kind of jam。 How nice！ As I was saying； I got into Charing Cross and there wasn't a porter。 Just fancy！ At least there was a porter； an old man； but when I beckoned to him he wouldn't move。 Well； I was angry。 I can tell you； Paul； I wasn't going to stand that； so I…what nice jam； dear。 I never knew Mitchell's had jam like this！〃
〃I didn't get it at Mitchell's；〃 said Maggie。 〃I've changed the grocer。 Mitchell hasn't got anything； and his prices are just about double Brownjohn's 。 。 。〃
〃Brownjohn！〃 Grace stared； her bread and jam suspended。 〃Brownjohn！ But； Maggie dear； he's a dissenter。〃
〃Oh。 Maggie！〃 said Paul。 〃You should have told me！〃
〃Why！〃 said Maggie； bewildered。 〃Father never minded about dissenters。 Our butcher in St。 Dreot's was an atheist and〃
〃Well； well；〃 said Grace； her eyes still flashing about like goldfish in a pool。 〃You didn't know； dear。 Of course you didn't。 I'm sure we can put it right with Mitchell； although he's a sensitive man。 I'll go and see him in the morning。 I am glad I'm back。 Well； I was telling you 。 。 。 Where was I？ 。 。 。 about the porter〃
Something drove Maggie to say：
〃I'd rather have a good grocer who's a dissenter than a bad one who goes to church〃
〃Maggie；〃 said Paul； 〃you don't know what you're saying。 You don't realise what the effect in the parish would be。〃
〃Of course she doesn't；〃 said Grace consolingly。 〃She'll understand in time。 As I was saying； I was so angry that I caught the old man by the arm and I said to him； 'If you think you're paid to lean up against a wall and not do your duty you're mightily mistaken； and if you aren't careful I'll report youthat's what I'll do；' and he saidwhat were his exact words？ I'll remember in a minute。 I know he was very insulting； and the taxi…cabmanwhy； Paul； where's mother's picture？〃
Grace's eyes were directed to a large space high above the mantelpiece。 Maggie remembered that there had been a big faded oil… painting of an old lady in a shawl and spectacles； a hideous affair she had thought it。 That was now reposing in the attic。 Why had she not known that it was a picture of Paul's mother？ She would never have touched it had she known。 Why had Paul said nothing？ He had not even noticed that it was gone。
Paul stared； amazed and certainlyyes； beyond questionfrightened。
〃Graceupon my wordI've been so busy since my return〃
〃Is that also in the attic？〃 asked Grace。
〃Yes； it is；〃 said Maggie。 〃I'm so sorry。 I never knew it was your mother。 It wasn't a very good painting I thought； so I took it down。 If I had known； of course； I never would have touched it。 Oh Grace； I AM so sorry。〃
〃It's been there；〃 said Grace； 〃for nearly twenty years。 What I mean to say is that it's always been there。 Poor mother。 Are there many things in the attic； Maggie？〃
At that moment there was a feeble scratching on the door。 Paul； evidently glad of anything that would relieve the situation； opened the door。
〃Why； it's Mitch！〃 cried Grace； forgetting for the moment her mother。 〃Fancy！ It's Mitch！ Mitch； dear！ Was she glad to see her old friend back again？ Was she？ Darling！ Fancy seeing her old friend again？ Was she wanting her back？〃
Mitch stood shivering in the doorway； then； with her halting step； the skin of her back wrinkled with anxiety； she crossed the room。 For a moment she hesitated； then with shamefaced terror； slunk to Maggie； pressed up against her； and sat there huddled； staring at Grace with yellow unfriendly eyes。
CHAPTER IV
GRACE
Not in a day and not in a night did Maggie find a key to that strange confusion of fears； superstitions； and self…satisfactions that was known to the world as Grace Trenchard。 Perhaps she never found it； and through all the struggle and conflict in which she was now to be involved she was fighting； desperately； in the dark。 Fight she did； and it was this same conflict； bitter and tragic enough at the time； that transformed her into the woman that she became 。 。 。 and through all that conflict it may be truly said of her that she never knew a moment's bitternessanger； dismay； loneliness； even despair…bitterness never。
It was not strange that Maggie did not understand Grace； Grace never understood herself nor did she make the slightest attempt to do so。 It would be easy enough to cover the ground at once by saying that she had no imagination； that she never went behind the thing that she saw； and that she found the grasping of external things quite as much as she could manage。 But that is not enough。 Very early indeed； when she had been a stolid…faced little girl with a hot desire for the doll possessed by her neighbour； she had had for nurse a woman who rejoiced in supernatural events。 With ghost stories of the most terrifying kind she besieged Grace's young heart and mind。 The child had never imagination enough to visualise these stories in the true essence； but she seized upon external detail…the blue lights； the white shimmering garments； the moon and the church clock； the clanking chain and the stain of blood upon the board。
These things were not for her； and indeed did she allow her fancy to dwell； for a moment； upon them she was besieged at once by so horrid a panic that she lost all control and self…possession。 She therefore very quickly put those things from her and thenceforth lived in the world as in a castle surrounded by a dark moat filled with horrible and slimy creatures who would raise a head at her did she so much as glance their way。
She decided then never to look； and from a very early age those quarters of life became to her 〃queer；〃 indecent； and dangerous。 All the more she fastened her grip upon the things that she could see and hold； and these things repaid her devotion by never deceiving her or pretending to be what they were not。 She believed intensely in forms and repetitions； she liked everything to be where she expected it to be； people to say the things that she expected them to say； clocks to strike at the right time； and trains to be up to the minute。 With all this she could never be called an accurate or careful woman。 She was radically stupid； stupid in the real sense of the word； so that her mind did not grasp a new thought or fact until it had been repeated to her again and again； so that she had no power of expressing herself； and a deep inaccuracy about everything and every one which she endeavoured to cover by a stream of aimless lies that deceived no one。 She would of course have been very indignant had any one told her that she was stupid。 She hated what she called 〃clever people〃 and never had them near her if she could help it。 She was instantly suspicious of any one who liked ideas or wanted anything changed。 With all this she was of an extreme obstinacy and a deep； deep jealousy。 She clung to what she had with the tenacity of a mollusc。 What she had was in the main Paul； and her affection for him was a very real human quality in her。
He was exactly what she would have chosen had she been allowed at the beginning a free choice。 He was lazy and good…tempered so that he yielded to her on every possible point； he was absolutely orthodox and never shocked her by a thought or a word out of the ordinary； he really loved her and believed in her and said； quite truly； that he would not have known what to do without her。
It seems strange then that it should have been in the main her urgency that led to the acquisition of Maggie。 During the last year she had begun to be seriously uneasy。 Things were not what they had been。 Mrs。 Constantine and others in the parish were challenging her authority； even the Choir boys were scarcely so subservient as they had been； and； worst of all； Paul himself was strangely restive and unquiet。 He talked at times of getting married； wondered whether she； Grace； wouldn't like some one to help her in the house； and even； on one terrifying occasion； suggested leaving Skeaton altogether。 A momentary vision of what it would be to live without Paul； to give up her kingdom in Skeaton； to have to start all over again to acquire dominion in some new place； was enough for Grace。
She must find Paul a wife； and she must find some one who would depend upon her； look up to her； obey her； who would； incidentally； take some of the tiresome and monotonous drudgery off her shoulders。 The moment she saw Maggie she was resolved； here was just the creature； a mouse of a girl； no parents； no money； no appearance； nothing to make her proud or above herself； some one to be moulded and trained in the way she should go。 To her great surprise she discovered that Paul was at once attracted by Maggie： had she ever wondered at anything she would have wondered at this； but she decided that it was because she herself had made the suggest
